


this is our home, this is our family

by scarfy36



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:50:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarfy36/pseuds/scarfy36
Summary: Liz and Michael find another pod. They keep an eye on it and after a few weeks it starts to move. Out hatches a newborn-aged baby.





	this is our home, this is our family

**Author's Note:**

> title from Family by The Hard Aches
> 
> This is all Charlie's fault (aliencowboys on tumblr) for giving me the idea

Liz and Michael had taken to exploring the desert for more caves and mines in their free time. Mostly, they were looking for pieces of the ship that crashed in 1947, but they also used the time to appreciate the place they call home. They're surprised when they find another pod.

“Should we move it?” Liz asks. 

“If it’s gone this long undiscovered, I think it’s better to leave it. We don’t know what will happen if we move it. I don’t want to risk it.”

“Okay,” Liz nods. 

“But maybe we could set up a security camera to monitor it remotely. Keep an eye on it even when we can’t come all the way out here.”

“Good idea.”

 

\--

 

Michael’s leaning over the engine of a car when his phone chimes out an alert. He wipes the grease off his hands with his shirt and checks the notification. His posture shifts when he sees it’s from the surveillance app monitoring the pod. He brings up the feed and it’s immediately obvious what triggered the alert. Where yesterday there was a life form inside the pod, today the pod was empty and there was a small baby on the cave floor. 

He types out a quick text to the “Pod Squad” group chat, flips the ‘back in 15’ sign on the junkyard table on the way to his truck and guns down the road. 

Liz pulls up alongside him as he arrives at the cave and they run wordlessly inside. As they draw closer to where the pod sits they hear the unmistakable sound of a baby crying and pick up their pace. 

Liz reaches the baby first, not having to slow down to duck her head like Michael. She scoops it up and holds it against her chest, rocking it gently to calm its crying. 

“Have you got something to wrap it in?” Liz asks.

“Here,” Michael says, shucking off his shirt and passing it to Liz.

Michael moves to the pod, gently prodding it to determine what had changed in the previous day. The pod looks the same as the ones he, Max and Isobel hatched from, complete with the perfectly intact membrane. 

“Michael, come here,” Liz’s voice snaps him out of his concentration and he hears that the baby is still crying. He moves over to where Liz is standing and reacts on instinct when she passes the baby to him. He adjusts his hold to better support its head and cradles it against his chest. When he looks back up at Liz he notices the baby has quieted. 

“I thought it might respond better to you,” Liz smiles. “A familiar touch.”

“You think it knows the difference?”

Liz just points at the now-settled baby. 

“What do we do now?”

“I guess we have to put it in the system like they did with you,” Liz says. Michael tenses and he takes a sharp inhale. Liz must notice because she adds, “We have to go through the proper channels, but we can protect the baby this time. Max can keep an eye on them from inside the system.”

“Liz,” Michael takes a few deep breaths to steady himself and speaks slowly. “I am not putting this baby into the system.”

“Okay,” Liz nods. “Okay, we can’t stay in this cave forever, so why don’t we head back to your cabin? It’s more private than Max’s and there’s less chance of anyone dropping by unannounced. We can talk about what to do long-term from there.”

Michael nods and follows Liz out of the cave back to their cars. They walk slowly, Michael taking particular care with his steps to avoid jostling the baby in his arms. Michael’s face falls when they exit the cave and he looks at his truck.

“I don’t have a car seat.”

“Damn,” Liz agrees. She stares at their cars for a moment. Michael has learnt to let her think in silence when she gets that expression on her face. “Okay. I’ll drive your truck, you hold the baby in your lap. I’ll get Max to bring me back later to get my car.”

“Why don’t I drive and you hold the baby?” Michael suggests, holding the baby out towards Liz. The baby stirs and screws up its face in preparation for another round of crying.

“That’s why,” Liz says, pointing at the baby. Michael brings the baby back to rest against his chest and it settles again.

“Good point.” He tosses Liz his keys and gets in the passenger side. 

Liz drives cautiously and Michael keeps a firm grip on the baby as it sleeps against his chest.

When they get to the cabin they’re greeted at the door by Colgate, Michael and Alex’s beagle.

“I’m going to call Kyle, I want to get a work-up done,” Liz says She closes the door behind him and leans down to give the dog a scratch behind the ears. “We don’t know how long it’s been out of the pod, I want to check for dehydration - that’s not to mention the alien stuff. Is it the same species as you, why has it hatched now, does it have powers?”

“Liz,” Michael says pointedly.

“Right, priorities,” she nods. “I’ll call Kyle, can you call Isobel? Tell her to bring formula, diapers, um, blankets, and baby clothes.”

“So just pick up everything a baby needs on her way over? Sure, no problem,” Michael rolls his eyes but still dials his phone.

 

\--

 

Kyle arrives first. Isobel texted multiple photos from the baby section of Target to let them know that she was taking her task very seriously.

“That’s a baby,” Kyle says, sitting down at the kitchen table opposite Michael, who has the baby tucked into the crook of his arm.

“Great observation,” Michael snorts. “Thank you for your medical opinion.”

“Sorry. I know I should be used to weird alien crap by now, but you two finding an alien infant was not what I expected from my day when I woke up this morning.”

“Thank you for coming, Kyle,” Liz says. “Can you give her a health check? I’ve taken some blood samples, but the other stuff is beyond me.”

“I figured that’s why you called me,” Kyle nods. He rummages around in the bag he brought and pulls out a stethoscope, otoscope and several other tools, then looks up at Michael. “Are you going to be good to hold them while I do this? I know you don’t like doctors, but this shouldn’t take long.”

“I don’t have a lot of choice, if I give her to anyone else she starts crying,” Michael answers.

“She?”

“She was naked when we found her so we wrapped her in my shirt. When we got here I found her a clean blanket and we discovered that she’s a she. I mean, gender is a human construct, but for medical purposes she’s female, yes.”

Kyle nods and begins his examination by listening to her heart and lungs. He makes a few notes on a notepad and moves on to checking her eyes and ears. He checks her height, head circumference and weighs her on Alex’s bathroom scales. She’s alert throughout the process, her wide eyes following Kyle as he works. 

When he’s written down his last measurements, Kyle announces to Michael, “You’ve got a healthy baby girl. I’d say somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks old based on her size. What did you find in the blood samples, Liz?”

“I compared them to samples from Michael and they’re definitely the same species. Everything else looks normal,” she answers.

“Do you need anything else from me? I can stick around until Isobel gets here if you want help with feeding or changing,” Kyle offers, packing up his medical bag.

“Thank you, but I think I’ve got it,” Michael answers.

“It’s okay to ask for help, Michael,” Liz says gently. “I’m so far out of my depth with babies.”

Michael is silent for a moment, watching the baby as she gurgles and shifts against his arm. “I actually got a lot of experience with babies as a kid,” he says, not looking up at Liz or Kyle. “Turns out some people think taking on a foster kid means they get a free babysitter.”

Kyle smiles sadly at him and collects his bag. He gives Michael a comforting clap on the shoulder as he leaves, reminding them to call him if they need anything.

 

\--

 

The baby becomes increasingly unsettled as they wait for Isobel to arrive. Michael paces around the cabin trying to settle the hungry baby until they finally hear Isobel’s car pull up. Liz goes outside to help Isobel with the supplies she’s brought and rummages through the bags to find the formula and a bottle. The few minutes it takes to prepare feels like an eternity to Michael, who’s watching the baby get closer and closer to tears.

Liz tests the bottle against her arm before handing it to Michael. He settles on the couch to start feeding the baby, who drinks hungrily from the bottle. When she’s finished Michael uses one of the bibs Isobel brought to burp her easily and she lets out a yawn before closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep.

“You’re a natural,” Isobel says, breaking the silence in the room.

Michael gives a small shrug in response. Turning to the bags Isobel brought, he asks, “Diapers and clothes?”

“I brought enough supplies for a few days,” Isobel says, pointing at the bag Michael needs. “I wasn’t sure what your plans were.”

“I don’t know what our plans are. I want to do everything properly, but I want her to have a better life than we did.”

“It would have been easier if we had another alien in our lives - a good one, I mean,” she corrects herself bitterly, “to teach us about our powers and where we came from.” She pauses for a moment, thinking. “You and Alex seem pretty settled here,” she gestures to cabin around her and Colgate curled up on her bed by the fireplace. “Have you two talked about kids?”

Michael barely masks his surprise as he stammers out a reply, “that’s not- no, I don’t know- we haven’t-”

“Isobel,” Liz interrupts, saving him from answering. “Could you give me a ride back to my car? I left it out in the desert when we brought her back.” 

“Sure,” Isobel agrees. The look in her eyes tells Michael their conversation is far from over.

“I’ll come back with Max when he gets off work,” Liz says. “You’ll be okay by yourself until then?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Michael nods.

He’s thankful for the quiet when Liz and Isobel leave. He searches through the rest of the bags Isobel brought one-handed, gently rocking the sleeping baby with his other arm. He had changed and dressed her while talking to Isobel, so he set the diapers and onesies aside and pulled out a blanket and a soft green alien plushie. There was a box by the table that had a capsule that would work as a makeshift cot as well as being a car seat, but it would require two hands to assemble. 

Satisfied he’s got the basics covered and overwhelmed by the day’s events, Michael lays down on the couch with the baby on his chest to wait for Alex to get home. His mind is replaying what Isobel said before she left,  and with thoughts of raising this baby with Alex he drifts off.

 

\--

 

Alex opens the cabin door to a sight he was not expecting to see. Michael is asleep on the couch in the living room with their beagle sleeping under his feet as they dangle over the armrest. This is not an unusual sight, but what is strange to Alex is the baby asleep on Michael’s chest.

He closes the door as quietly as he can but Michael’s eyes flicker open at the sound. 

“I can explain,” Michael says.

“I got your texts,” Alex assures him. “So I get why there’s a baby. But why is it here?”

Michael sits up, gently repositioning the baby in his arms.

“She doesn’t have family, so it was either the system,” Michael shudders involuntarily at the thought, “or one of us takes her. She cried when Liz and Kyle held her, and we’ve got the space here, so I’m looking after her until we work out what to do.”

Alex nods, stepping over to the couch. He leans down and presses a chaste kiss to Michael’s lips, then runs a hand softly over the sleeping baby’s head.

“Domesticity looks good on you,” Alex smirks.

“Teaching looks good on you,” Michael replies. He uses his free hand to reach up and tug at Alex’s tie.

“Not in front of the child, Guerin,” Alex rolls his eyes, stepping out of Michael’s reach and rubbing Colgate’s belly. “You said Kyle’s been over, I take it he checked her over?”

“Yeah, she passed all of his tests. Liz took blood samples and compared them to mine, she’s definitely the same species as us.” 

“What do Max and Isobel think about you finding another alien?” Alex sits down in the space Michael has made on the couch.

“Iz is… conflicted, I think. After everything with Noah, anything alien is going to make her suspicious. Max is coming over later and I have no idea what he’ll want to do.”

“Well, she can stay here as long as she needs,” Alex offers. “This cabin has always been a place for people with nowhere else to go.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @roswaliens


End file.
